Academic Transcript Translation – WES, ECE,
and University-Accepted
Word-for-word certified translations of diplomas, transcripts, and academic records
in 80+ languages – accepted by U.S. and Canadian universities, WES, ECE, IQAS,
and other credential evaluators. Get an academic transcript translation
quickly and accurately for just $27.99/page
4.9/5 Star Rating
What Is a Certified Academic Transcript Translation?
A certified academic transcript translation is a complete, word-for-word translation of your academic records – diplomas, transcripts, course descriptions, degree certificates – accompanied by a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy from a professional translator. It's the standard required by U.S. and Canadian universities, by credential evaluation services like WES and ECE, and by professional licensing boards reviewing foreign-trained applicants.
Unlike a casual translation done for personal understanding, a certified academic translation must preserve every element of the original: grades, course titles, credit hours, grading scales, transcript legends, stamps, seals, signatures, handwritten notes, and any marginal text. Evaluators compare the translation side-by-side with the original document, so the structure and layout must mirror the source as closely as possible.
At Rapid Translate, every academic transcript translation is produced by a professional human translator (no machine translation, no AI), reviewed for accuracy, and delivered as a non-editable PDF on company letterhead with our signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy. The format meets WES word-for-word requirements, ECE translation guidelines, and the standards of U.S. universities including Ivy League, public flagship, and community college systems.
Important: Most credential evaluators – including WES – explicitly do not accept translations completed by applicants. Even if you're bilingual, you cannot translate your own transcripts for WES, ECE, or most university admissions. The translation must come from a recognized professional translator or agency.
Who Accepts Our Academic Translations
Our certified academic translations are accepted by the institutions that matter most for foreign-trained students and professionals coming to the U.S. and Canada:
1 Credential Evaluation Services
These are third-party organizations that universities and licensing boards use to verify foreign academic credentials. They do not perform translation themselves – they require a professional translation before evaluation. The most common evaluators:
- WES (World Education Services) – the most widely-recognized evaluator in North America. Used by ~50% of U.S. graduate programs and required for Canadian immigration credential assessment.
- ECE (Educational Credential Evaluators) – the second-most popular U.S. evaluator. Different translation rules than WES, but our translations meet both standards.
- IQAS (International Qualifications Assessment Service) – used by Alberta and across Canada for immigration and licensing.
- SpanTran, ICAS, Josef Silny & Associates, NACES members – other recognized evaluators we routinely work with.
2 Universities and Colleges
We translate transcripts accepted by:
- U.S. universities (undergraduate, graduate, MBA, PhD, law, medical school)
- Common Application and Coalition Application submissions
- Community colleges and state systems (UC, CSU, SUNY, CUNY, and others)
- Canadian universities for international student admissions
- K-12 school districts enrolling children with foreign academic records
3 Other Institutions
- Professional licensing boards (nursing, medicine, engineering, accounting)
- Employers verifying foreign degrees during hiring
- USCIS for employment-based visa categories (O-1, EB-1, EB-2, EB-3) that require evidence of academic credentials
Documents We Translate for Academic Use
Academic credential packages usually require more than just a transcript. We translate every document type that universities and evaluators commonly request:
- Academic transcripts – full year-wise or semester-wise records of courses, grades, and credits
- Diplomas and degree certificates – final credential evidence proving your degree was conferred
- Mark sheets – common for Indian, Pakistani, Bangladeshi, and other South Asian credentials
- Course descriptions and syllabi – required by some universities for transfer credit evaluation
- Letters of recommendation – translated for U.S. and Canadian admissions
- Provisional certificates and transcripts – for applicants whose final degree is still pending
- High school records – for K-12 enrollment and undergraduate admissions
- Language proficiency certificates – for institutions that recognize specific exams
- Professional licenses and registrations – for credential evaluation tied to licensing
If you're submitting a complete academic file (transcript + degree certificate, or mark sheets + provisional certificate), order them as a single batch – we assign one translator for consistency across all documents.
WES and ECE Translation Requirements
Credential evaluators have specific, sometimes-strict rules about what a translation must include. The rules differ between evaluators, which is a common source of rejected applications. Here's the practical version:
- Translations must be exact, word-for-word, with nothing omitted, added, or summarized
- Completed by a professional translator – not the applicant, even if bilingual
- All visible content must be translated: course titles, grades, grading scales, transcript legends, stamps, seals, signatures, handwritten notes, marginal text
- Structure and layout must mirror the original document
- For most countries, both the academic record AND the final degree credential are required – not just one
- Slightly more flexible than WES – applicants may translate their own documents in some cases if they purchase ECE's Translation Waiver, but most students choose professional translation
- Translations must be word-for-word and in the same format as the original
- Required for any document not in English
Why this matters: every academic translation we produce is formatted to meet WES word-for-word standards by default. That means the same translation works for ECE, IQAS, university registrars, and licensing boards – you don't pay twice or reorder if you decide to add another evaluator later.
Translating Academic Records for K-12 School Enrollment
If you're moving to the U.S. with school-age children, public and private school districts will need certified translations of your child's foreign academic records before placement. Required documents typically include:
- Report cards or grade reports from each previous school year
- School transcripts showing courses, grades, and attendance
- Promotion certificates or end-of-year certificates
- Immunization records (often handled separately, but sometimes bundled with academic records)
- Birth certificate (school enrollment requirement, not academic specifically)
School districts use these translated records to determine grade-level placement, English language learner (ELL) services eligibility, and credit transfer for high schoolers. Without certified translations, your child may be held back a grade or placed in classes that don't match their actual academic level.
Most K-12 districts do not require WES-level evaluation – a standard certified translation is sufficient. We deliver translated K-12 records in 24 hours, formatted to match the original school documents.
Languages We Translate
We translate academic records in 80+ languages – including Spanish, French, Italian, German, Russian, Ukrainian, Polish, Portuguese, Mandarin Chinese, Arabic, Hindi, Bengali, Korean, Japanese, and many more. Every certified academic translation is word-for-word, mirrors the original document's layout, and includes a signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy accepted by U.S. and Canadian universities, WES, ECE, IQAS, and other credential evaluators.
Get Any Document Translated In Over 80+ Languages
Academic Transcript Translation Pricing
Academic transcript translation at Rapid Translate is priced per page, where a page is defined as up to 250 words of source text. No setup fees, no per-language surcharges, no hidden costs.
Standard turnaround: 24 hours for 1–3 pages, 48 hours for 4–6 pages. Rush delivers 1–3 pages within 12 hours.
- 100% USCIS & University Acceptance Guarantee
- Accepted by WES, ECE, IQAS, and other evaluators
- Word-for-word with seals, stamps, and grading scales preserved
- Mirrors original document layout
- Signed Certificate of Translation Accuracy
- 80+ languages supported
- 24/7 customer support
Simple and Easy Process
Avoid complications associated with university applications and the visa or immigration process. To make things easy, Rapid Translate's official and certified academic translations are 100% online – there's no need to find a notary in your city. Simply upload your document and download a fully certified translation within 24 hours.
Our standard workflow:
- 1 Upload your transcript, diploma, or academic records
- 2 Select target language (most academic translations go to English; we also support French for Canada and other target languages)
- 3 Receive a non-editable PDF with signed certification, ready to upload directly to your WES, ECE, or university portal
Frequently Asked Questions About Academic Transcript Translations
Get Your Academic Transcript Translated and Certified, Delivered Within 24 Hours and Accepted by the USCIS
Meet Giuseppe.
Giuseppe is a high school student from Italy, soon to become an international student at a US University. He's excited to meet new people, explore a foreign country and visit new and exciting places. He is applying for an F-1 visa.
But his excitement quickly turned to anxiety as he started looking at all the document requirements for his visa. He has an Italian academic transcript from high school that he needs to translate into English. He is submitting this to his dream university, so he doesn't want to make any mistakes.
Giuseppe has decided that Rapid Translate is his best service because it's fast, cheap, certified and entirely online. Furthermore, unlike other online translation services, Rapid Translate can notarize his document.
Giuseppe's official academic transcript shows all his high school grades and classes, just like he needs for university enrollment. However, it's all in Italian.
So, in just a few clicks, he uploads his transcript. Within 24 hours, a professional translator translates, certifies, and sends it back to Giuseppe for downloading. It's that simple!
Have fun in America, Giuseppe.
Use Rapid Translate for all Your Academic Transcript Translation Needs
The smallest mistakes have serious consequences. This rings true for your most important documents. Don't leave your translations up to unreliable sources. Rapid Translate is accurate, precise, and quick. Our translation service translates your most sensitive documents, academic transcripts included. We also provide certified translations if needed. You've worked hard for your grades, and our certified translation experts ensure precisely translated transcripts. We guarantee your translated document is 100% accurate and error-free.
Are you ready to get a certified translation of your academic transcripts?
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